Price tag or ticket holder



April 8, 1952 J. BREAKEY PRICE TAG OR TICKET HOLDER Filed March 22, 1950 FIG Patented Apr. 8, 1952 PRICE TAG R. TICKET HOLDER Norman J. Breakey, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Application March 22, 1950, Serial No. 151,188 In Canada April 8, 1949 4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in price tag or ticket holders and the principal object of the invention is to provide an improved and attractive holder for rice tags or other indicia carrying cards, which holder will securely hold and prominently and completely display a number of cards and will permit an individual card to be readily removed and replaced without moving adjacent cards.

A further important object is to provide a price tag or ticket holder which may be very inexpensively manufactured as a moulding of any length to hold any number of cards.

A still further object is to provide a novel and very simple and inexpensive indicia carrying card or tag for use with the holder.

The principal feature of the invention consists in overturning one longitudinal edge of a strip holder to provide a resilient flange formation defining with the strip a channel for the reception of an indicia carrying card, forming the free edge of the flange with an inwardly projecting longitudinal bead, and providing indicia carrying cards formed with protruding surface formations to engage and interlock with the flange head to securely retain the cards in position and to operate the flange outwardly to release individual cards upon forceful movement of the individual card into or out of said channel.

A further important feature consists in forming the holder as a longitudinal moulded strip of plastic material.

A further feature of importance is to form the strip with longitudinal bead formation or corrugations to increase the strip rigidly and maintain auniform spacing between the strip and flange bead throughout the length of the strip.

A still further feature consists in moulding the strip of a transparent plastic whereby the whole of the indicia carrying card will be visibly displayed precluding masking of information on the card by the holder and affording maximum utilization of the card area for printing.

Referring to the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is an elevational view of a price tag moulding constructed in accordance with my invention and showing several indicia-bearing cards releasably locked therein.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view showing clearly the manner in which the moulding flange and price tag protuberances interlock to hold the price tag in position.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 but showing the moulding flange displaced outwardly under the movement of the price tag out of the retaining channel of the moulding.

Figure 4 is an elevational view of a price tag constructed in accordance with my invention to interlock with the price moulding of Figures 1, 2 and 3.

Figure 5 is an elevational view of a modified form of tag which may be used with my moulding.

Figure 6 is an elevational view of a further modified form of price tag.

Figure 7 illustrates a slightly modified form of price tag moulding for use with tags such as illustrated in Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a vertical sectional view of an alternative form of moulding showing the price tag gripped and supported at the bottom instead of the top.

Figure9 is a perspective view of a shelf as sembly illustrating a holder incorporating my invention formed as part of the shelf assembly for the retention of price tags for wares to be displayed on the shelf.

In the display of wares in large groceterias, departmental and other stores it is extremely desirable to indicate the price of the wares by means of price tags suitably supported. It has been proposed to form the price tag supports as longitudinal strips to be mounted on the face of the shelves and to provide price tags to interlock with the strips. Invariably under such previous constructions the removal of any individual tag from this strip necessitated the removal of a plurality of adjacent tags, incurring a considerable delay and leading to the incorrect replacement of a number of tags to mislead the buyer.

Additionally, such previous holders are frequently unsightly and mask a large portion of the price tag which cannot be used for printed matter.

The present invention completely overcomes all of the disadvantages inherent in previous type strip holders by providing an extremely attractive holder which will display the full area of the card and which will, while holding a plurality of cards, enable an individual card to be removed and replaced without disturbing the remainder.

Further advantages including the low cost will be apparent from the following description.

With reference to the drawings, my holder comprises a length of moulding I in the form of a longitudinal strip having along one longitudinal edge an overturned flange portion 2 which defines with the moulding or strip I a channel 3 for reception of one of the price tags or indiciabearing cards 4.

The overturned flange portion 2 is connected to the strip I by the material 5, the whole unit being formed integral as a moulding in the preferred embodiment of my invention.

It will be noted that the cross section of the holder at 5 is such as to permit flexure of the flange 2 between the positions of Figures 2 and 3 Without fracture, the flange 2 thus forming a resilient cantilever element.

Formed along the free longitudinal edge of the flange 2 is a bead or rib 6 which is rounded in cross section, as shown in Figure 2 and in Figure 3. The flange bead 6 defines with the strip I a mouth 1 opening to the channel 3 and this mouth is substantially uniform in width throughout the length of the moulding.

One of the diflicult problems encountered in the holder is the maintenance of a trueness in the holder to keep the mouth I uniform in width throughout the moulding length.

I have found that the provision of the longitudinal ribs or corrugations 8 prevent deformation of the moulding I from a true form and maintain the mouth opening I uniform so that the cards or tags 4 will cooperate with the holder throughout its entire length.

In the form of price tag shown in Figure 4, it comprises a relatively stiff material which may be cardboard or the like on which numerals or other indicia 9 are printed.

The card is formed 01' embossed to provide the spaced protuberances I clearly shown in Figure 2 and these protuberances are of rounded or spherical form to provide smooth cam-like surfaces. To insert the tag 4 into the holder it is simply pushed upwardly between the overturned flange 2 and the strip body I, the upper edge of the tag entering freely into the mouth I. Continued upward pressure on the tag forces the rounded bead 6 of the flange which forms a "cam-like surface to move up the contours of the protuberances II) to swing the flange about the portion to open the mouth. Continued upward movement of the tag introduces the protuberances I0 past the flange bead 6 and into the channel 3, and the flange snaps inwardly to close the mouth I,

with the bead 6 and protuberances I0 interlocking as in Figure 2 to releasably lock the tag 4 in position.

To remove the tag the procedure is reversed with the tag being pulled downwardly and the cam-like surfaces of the protuberances I0 and bead 6 again co-operating to effect the opening of the mouth 1 whereby the tag can be pulled out.

As there is sufficient deformation permitted in the flange 2, it will be appreciated that as one card is inserted or removed only that portion of the flange in contact with the card being moved deforms sufficiently to permit the card movement. The remaining cards or tags held in the holder will be securely maintained in position.

Thus it will be appreciated that my holder will hold any number of tags depending on their size and its length, and yet each individual tag can be inserted or removed without affecting adjacent tags in the holder.

As the preferred embodiment of my invention is a moulding I am able to make my moulding of a plastic material which may be coloured as desired to provide an attractive decorative effect or which may be left clear so that it forms a transparent substance to display even that por- 4 tion of the tag or card 4 which is held in the channel 3.

Thus, as shown in Figure 1 and particularly in Figure 2, the whole area of the tag 4 may be utilized to receive the printed material thereon and will be completely displayed with my holder.

Figure 5 illustrates a modified form of tag in which a single central protuberance I I is formed to extend out of the surface of the tag and again this protuberance is suitably shaped to provide the cam action described to open and close the mouth 1 of the moulding. The protuberance II may extend the full Width of the card or may simply be a rib along the upper edge.

Figure 6 shows a further form of tag which may be utilized, including the protuberances I2 which are arranged intermediate the width of the card.

The moulding I3 for use with the card of Figure 6 is essentially the same as the moulding of Figure 1 with the exception that its flange I4 is arranged to extend downwardly a sufficient distance to engage and interlock with the protuberances I2.

Figure 8 illustrates the use of a moulding I in inverted position so that the tag 4 is interlocked at the bottom with the bead 6 of the overturned flange portion 2.

Where desirable instead of placing separate moulding on the shelf or other surface it may be formed as an integral part of the shelf as illustrated in Figure 9. In this modification the shelf I5 incorporates a downturned flange I6 connected therewith at IT to define the tag-receiving channel I8. Again the lower free edge of the flange I6 is provided with an inwardly extending bead I9 to engage and co-operate with the card protuberances. The connection between the shelf and flange at I! is such as to permit the flexure of the flange to provide a resilient cantilever member displaceable under the insertion or removal of the tags 4, as explained in connection with Figures 2 and 3.

While the preferred form of my invention is a moulding leading to the very economical manufacture of my price tag holder, it will be appreciated that formed metal holders or holders of other material exhibiting the required resilient characteristics may be utilized without departing from the scope of my invention.

The holder or moulding may be formed in extensive lengths and thereafter cut to the desired shelf lengths.

In use my mouldings may be utilized with the cards of Figures 4, 5 and 6 or other equivalent tags to indicate the price or convey such other information as desired on the goods either above or below the shelf to which my holder is secured. Alternatively, my holder or moulding may be utilized in any location and with any type of indicia-bearing member which is required to be changed or replaced at intervals.

The simplicity and inexpensiveness of my device are important to enable its use to be extended to every instance where it is desirable to have a releasable holder and tag interlock.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In combination a longitudinal strip having an overturned longitudinal edge forming a resilient flange formation having a leg spaced from and parallel to the strip and defining with the strip a channel said flange leg having a lon gitudinal bead formation on the inner face thereof adjacent the free edge thereof, and an indicia carrying card having a stiff sloping wall cam protuberance projecting from the surface thereof to co-operate with said flange bead to interlock said card in said channel and to cam said resilient flange about and outwardly of the strip under forceful movement of said card into or out of said channel.

2. In combination a longitudinal strip having an overturned longitudinal edge forming a resilient flange formation having a leg spaced from and parallel to the strip and defining with the strip a channel, said flange leg having a longitudinal bead formation having rounded longitudinal edges formed on the inner face thereof adjacent the free edge and defining with the strip a mouth opening having a. substantially uniform width throughout the length of the strip, and a relatively stifi indicia carrying card having a stiff rounded edge cam protuberance projecting from the surface thereof to co-operate with said flange bead to operate said leg outwardly of the strip under forceful movement of said card into or out of said channel said cam protuberance upon moving inwardly of said channel to adjacent the inner longitudinal rounded edge of the flange bead coacting with said bead to urge said card into said channel.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2 in which said strip is a transparent moulding and is formed with longitudinal ribbing spaced each side of the longitudinal head of the flange leg to hold the strip in trueness throughout its length to maintain the uniformity of said mouth opening.

4. A holder for an embossed price tagticket or the like comprising a longitudinal strip having an overturned edge including a leg parallel to and defining with the strip a channel for the reception of an indicia carrying card, the material joining said overturned edge portion and said strip permitting without rupturing a resillent movement of said overturned edge relative said strip, and a bead formed on the inner face of said overturned edge to define with said strip a. uniform mouth to said channel, said bead forming a means of locking and releasing a card in said channel through the resilient movement of said overturned edge to open and close" said mouth and having rounded longitudinal cam edges to co-operate with an embossing on a price tag to resiliently actuate a tag with embossing located adjacent the longitudinal bead edge inwardly of thechannel into the channel and to actuate a tag with embossing adjacent the outer longitudinal bead edge outwardly of the channel.

NORMAN J. BREAKEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 344,555 Wood June 29, 1886 1,972,959 v Taylor Sept. 11, 1934 2,342,847 Crosby Feb. 29, 1944 2,530,821 Hubbel Nov. 21, 1950 

